Illuminating flare



00f 12,1948. 0. D. SCHERMULY ETAL 2,451,121

ILLUMINATING FLARE Filed April 8, 1947 3i 37 INVENTORS 33 CONRAD DAVID SCHERMULY ALFRED JAMES SCHERMULY CHARLES SCHERMULY By iheir aflomeys Patented Oct. 12, 1948 ILLUMINATING FLARE Conrad David Schermuly, Alfred James Schermuly, and Charles Schermuly, Parkgate, Newdigate, England Application April 8, 1947, Serial No. 740,213 In Great Britain April 15, 1946 8 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminating flares of the kind which can be dropped into water and which will burn on the surface thereof.

A flare device of the said kind is described in our prior British Patent No. 579,703 dated June 29, 1944, which corresponds to these applicants co-pending U. S. application Serial No. 596,850 filed May 31, 1945, now U. S. Patent No. 2,448,471, the said device comprising a casing, a buoyancy chamber on said casing, a flare candle within said casing, a removable cover enclosing the lower part of said casing, a fuze in said cover adapted to be ignited when the device strikes the water, a candle ignition train leading from a point adjacent said fuze to the top of said flare candle and adapted to be ignited by said fuze, a separating charge within said cover for the purpose of separating said cover from said casing and means for igniting said separating charge after ignition of said candle ignition train.

In the flare device according to the said British Patent No. 579,703 the flare candle is contained in the lower end of the casing and the candle ignition train leads from a point adjacent the fuze, up through a passage provided in the buoyancy chamber, into the casing adjacent its upper end and down inside the casing to the top of the flare candle.

We have now found that advantages are obtained if the flare candle be contained in the upper end of the casing, the fuze for igniting the candle being lead through the casing adjacent its lower end, the disposition of weight and the position of the buoyancy chamber on the casing being such that when the cover is separated from the casing, said casing swings through 180 so that the candle is then in the lower part of the casing and the lighted fuze in the upper part of the casing.

According to the present invention, therefore, a flare device adapted to be dropped into water comprises a casing, a flare candle in the upper part of said casing, a buoyancy chamber surrounding part of said casing, a weighted cover surrounding the lower end of said casing, an ignition fuze in said cover, a separating charge in said cover for separating said cover from said casing, means for igniting said separating charge from said ignition fuze, and a candle ignition train leading from a point adjacent said ignition fuze, through an orifice adjacent the lower end of said casing and into contact with the lower end of said candle, the arrangement being such that when the cover is separated from said casing, said casing rises to the surface of the water 2 with the candle now in' the lower part of the casing and the lighted candle ignition train in the upper part of said casing.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which is a sectional elevation of a flare device in accordance with the invention, but the invention is not limited to the particular device shown.

A casing I is provided with a buoyancy chamber 2. The lower part of the casing I is enclosed within a cover 3 which slides over the buoyancy chamber 2 and is secured to a swaged portion 4 of the latter by means of a soft-solder joint 5. The lower end of the casing I is enclosed by a metal foil disc I secured to the casing by a weak soft-solder joint. The upper end of the casing I is provided with stabilising fins 8 to steady the device when it is dropped from an aircraft. The casing I contains a flare candle 9 which is held in position by means of a spacer I0 and a metal plug I3 which closes the upper end of easing I. The lower end of the flare candle 9 is closed by a cover II of combustible material, such as book muslin, to which is secured a looped strip I2 of cambric, primed in the manner well known in the art. The lower end of the casing I is surrounded by a block of wood I4, or similar material; formed into two halves, having a central orifice adapted to fit the casing I against which it is held in position by the cover 3. At its upper end the block I4 butts against the buoyancy chamber 2. At its lower end the block I4 is provided with a recess I5 into which flts a metal plate I6 resting against the foil disc I. Beneath the plate I6 and also located in the recess I5 is a block I! of cardboard or like material, provided with a central orifice I8 and a passage I9 through which passes a length of instantaneous fuze 20. At its upper end the fuze 20 is joined to a length of delay fuze 2|. In contact with the upper end of the delay fuze 2| is a length of quickmatch 22 lightly tamped down at its lower end at 23. The delay fuze 2| and its connections with the instantaneous fuze 20 and the quickmatch 22 is suitably housed in a metal tube 24 passing through the side of casing I near its lower end. The block I4 is provided with a cut-away portion 25 to accommodate the lower end of tube 24 and to allow the fuze 20 to pass from the passage I9 to the tube 24. The tube 24 is crimped on to the fuze 20 at 26 to render the interior of the casing I watertight. The upper end of the quickmatch 22 is formed into a loop passing through the strip I2 and ties to itself at 21. The quickmatch 22 is surrounded by a paper tube 28.

known in the art. The block 3| is provided witl'i' an annular recess 34 which is filled witha sepaa i.

rating charge 35, and with a small hole 36"through which passes a short length of quickrnatchi 31 one end of which is embedded imthe' separating charge 35 and the other end of which is in contact with the primed cambric disc-32'. .The. lower end of the instantaneous fuze ZDpassesthrough. V

the apertures in the upper spacing plates 33 and is in contact with the primed cambric disc"3'2 When the device is dropped from an aircraft, it falls with the'coritactifuze- 3lla'directed down Wards-by virtueofftheweightedplug 29; theffall being stabilised by tliefins 81 Whenthe'fuzefill strikes the water it is actuated andi the'fiash therefrom ignites'in -t'urntthe prime'drca'mbri'c' disc 32 ;theinstantanecus iiize '26, the" dela fuze -2 I the quickmatch z'lg' the strip lZ'; thecove'r H and the candle-'9'." The primed cambric'disc 32 also ignites in turn the quickmatch 3l and the separating-charge 35*.- The explosion of the charge35' causes-the cover 3' to be separated from the 'buoyancy cli'amb'er 2 at the weaksolder joint 5 and the cover 3'g the block 31 and' thex'spacin'g plates 33 "fall-away from the casing The casing l then rises/to tl'ie'wat'er surface; swingir'igthroughl180 as it does so, and floats by virtue of the buoyancy chamber The candle 9 wil1now be'inth'e lower end-of-th'e casing l 'and the ignition train(29,: 21, 22, [2; ll) above'th'e candle 9. Theignition'of tlie 'can'd1e ignition tiainflfi, 2|; 22', [2, H) is Well started before-the separation'of the cover 3 00- curs. The gases developed bythe burning candle 9+force ofi thefoil disc 1 and the surrounding area isiilluminated-by thefi'are, or ifthe candle 9 1s a smoke' flare a smoke signal will be produced.

' Wclaiin': I Y r 1'." flare 1 deviceadapted to burn while floatinjg'on watercomprising a casing, a flare candle the upper" part of saidcasing, a buoyancy chamber; on' said'ca'sing, a weighted cover sur- 4 rounding'th'elower end -of said"casling; an ignition fuze-in said "cover, a separating charge 'in' said cover for: separating said-cover from said casing; means=for ignitin'g'said separating charge from said ignition fuze; and a candle' ignition train leading from a point adj acent said ignition fuze to the lower end ofsaid candle-and adapted to be ignited'loy said ignition fuze.

2. A flare device as claimed in claim 1 in which g the candle ignition train comprises a primed cambric disc adapted to be ignited by the said fuze, an instantaneous fuze having one end in contact with the said cambric disc, a delay fuze joined at one end to said instantaneous fuze and a'alength of; quickmatchjoinediat one end to said delay time and atthe other end to the lower end of said candle.

..3. A flare device as claimed in claim 1 in which thepasing is provided with a length of tube passingthr'cugh the side of said casing near its lower end-for. the..reception'of part of said candle ignitionitrain. 1

4. Aiflare 'ideviceas claimed in claim 1 in which thelower, endof said casing is closed by a foil q dise adapted-to'be forced off by the gases generated by the flare candle after ignition of the same:

5. A flare device as claimed in claim 1 in which aispacer, is-provided for holding the flare candle imposition in,the.lcasi-ng.\ r

6. A flaredevieeas'claimed in claim" l in which thewover issecured to a swagedportion of said buoyancyr chamber: by -means of a weak joint.

- 7.-A='fiaredevice as. claimed in claim 1 in which said'separating'charge is contained -inan annular recess-in-a plate within'said cover;

8i i Avilaredevice as claimed'in claimlin-which the candle ignition. traincomprises a primed cambric, disc: adapted to be ignited by the said fuze,+ an: instantaneous iuzehaving one end in contacttwith the said cambric disc a delay fuzejoined at ne-endto said instantaneous fuze; and a lengthof. quickmatchjoinedat-one end-to said delay fuze'.and at theother end to the lower end ofmsaide candle and in whichwsaid' separating charge is ignitedirom: said primed cambrio disc by a short length of quickmatch connecting 4 the said separating charge withisaid prirnedcambric disc; 1

l GONRAD DAVIDfiCHERMULY; I ALEIRED- JAMES SCI-IERM'DZY.

CHARLES SCHERMULY;

REFERENCES CITED.

' The: following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I l TJNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number 

